Ball machine apparatus

ABSTRACT

A number of innovations are described for a ball machine (such as a tennis ball machine or a baseball machine). These include, but are not limited to, a camera integrated with the ball machine (as well as a second standalone camera), a microphone, a radar system, an integrated computer and a web portal. This provides substantially enhanced user interaction with the system and improves the overall utility of the ball machine and the enhances the user&#39;s experience.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/933,497 filed on Nov. 10, 2019, entitled “Ball Machine Apparatus”, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates in general to ball machines, and more particularly, to a ball machine apparatus that has a plurality of improvements relative to providing feedback and enhanced utility to the user.

2. Background Art

Ball machine apparatuses are known in the art. Among others, both tennis ball machines and baseball pitching machines have been used in the art. Problematically, these machines have not incorporated additional utility to aid the user beyond just pitching or sending a ball to the user.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

While this disclosure is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and described herein in detail a specific embodiment(s) with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification and is not intended to be limited to the embodiment(s) illustrated.

It will be understood that like or analogous elements and/or components, referred to herein, may be identified throughout the drawings by like reference characters. In addition, it will be understood that the drawings are merely schematic representations of the invention, and some of the components may have been distorted from actual scale for purposes of pictorial clarity.

A first innovations is to add a camera. Existing machines have to be placed at predefined locations on the court/field and then the motor speeds have to be set by trial and error. Any movement of the machine and this process has to be repeated.

Using a camera, a determination can be made as to the placement of the ball machine relative to the court, the home plate or the person with whom the machine is working. The use of a camera provides virtually instant (at least reasonably quick) calibration of the machine where the location can be analyzed and from there a determination can be made as to the required speeds of the ball based on the workout.

Additionally, Existing machines do go back and forth, but it is along a predetermined angle. If you are far away from the machine, it is too far of a range of rotating and you cannot get all the balls. If you are too close, the range the balls are thrown left and right is not far enough.

With the camera, a determination can be made where a target person is located and balls can be directed to achieve a “workout”. Among other examples, a sample workout may include the serving of five balls to the left, five balls to the right and five high balls. By using a camera and tracking the ball, a determination can be made as to how much to rotate the machine so that at any distance, the user receives balls in a desired zone, and only in the desired zone.

Furthermore, the camera can be used to store clips of the workout of the user. As the system provides data as to when a ball is sent, the video can be edited and clipped on the fly so as to produce a video comprising, for example, just interactions with the ball.

Currently, as no machine like the foregoing exists, a user would have to set up a separate camera, such as a phone app (Coaches eye). Problematically, these solutions are not coupled to the ball machine, and, as such, it is difficult to isolate the interaction.

With a camera, we can also track what the result of the ball machine interaction is. For example, we can tell if someone hits backhands in or out in a practice setting. Or figure out if someone hits a certain type of pitch to a certain place on the field.

We can use the camera to make sure there are no objects in the expected line of fire. For example, a child or pet walking in front of the machine. The machine can be configured to NOT fire the pitch in this scenario.

Another advancement is the providing of a radar. With a radar system, the speed of the ball can be tracked as it exits the ball machine. The ball speed and movement can be tracked as it comes back toward the ball machine (a tennis ball being hit by a racquet, or a baseball hit by a bat).

Additionally, radar allows for interaction with the device, for example, where subsequent balls can be delivered as if they are in response to the user's last hit. For example, where a ball is hit back to the machine, the radar can pick up the ball speed and throw and send a subsequent ball at the player at the correct time and speed as if a volley, for example, is being maintained. Such a configuration makes the ball machine responsive to action, as opposed to solely initiating action.

Another innovation is to utilize a microphone. With the addition of a microphone, the user can interact with the machine with voice commands. For example, starting, stopping or changing the workout can be done with voice commands. Additionally, with respect to teaching, a coach an pause a workout to make a teaching point and then resume the workout solely with voice commands.

Additionally, a microphone can identify which player (if, for example, multiple players are playing at the same time and interacting with the ball machine) is receiving the ball so that video clips can be properly associated with the correct player. For a team, where a rotation may be made through players during a drill, they may all be dressed substantially identically, the clips can be cataloged according to, for example, a unique command made by a user.

Another innovation is a standalone camera device. The standalone camera device can sync up with the ball machine. The standalone device can be placed in an area where the user would like to obtain additional footage. As an example, where the ball machine is configured to pitch baseballs, the machine provides a head on perspective. A second standalone camera device may be positioned perpendicular to home plate 15 feet away, for example, so that the user (the batter) can be captured from two perspectives. The cameras can be synchronized with the ball machine so that the content (the video clips) can be stored together. The clips can be viewed later simultaneously, or in a desired order, to provide additional footage from a second perspective.

Another innovation is to integrate a computer with wife, cellular, and/or Bluetooth and to also provide storage. This provides the necessary processing and allows the flexibility for upgrades.

Another innovation is to use a web portal where the user information is stored. The portal can provide users interaction with the system off line. Their video footage can be uploaded and statistics from the workout can be stored. There is an ability to view the video clips, to share the clips with coaches or to look at analytics over time.

The foregoing description merely explains and illustrates the disclosure and the disclosure is not limited thereto except insofar as the appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 

1. A ball machine having at least one of a camera integrated with the ball machine (as well as a second standalone camera), a microphone, a radar system, an integrated computer and a web portal. 